Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before, with significant representation from four generations. Recruiter.com’s Kazim Ladimeji sheds light on the challenge this presents from an HR perspective: How do you shape a benefits program that appeals to staff members as different as Millenials and Baby Boomers?
In an effort to attract a range of candidates (and retain them long term), many companies maintain a diverse, but balanced benefits package that often skewed more heavily toward one or two groups than others. A mentoring program may represent a valuable addition to such a program, namely because it spans generational groups and provides a forum for engagement between them.
Certainly junior staff have the opportunity to learn from their older and wiser counterparts – whether in terms of shaping their careers from the outset or moving into more responsible roles – but veteran workers also stand to benefit, as the relationship can help them keep pace in areas such as technology and social media.
But the advantages of mentoring extend beyond learning and career building. Studies from the University of Miami and Sun Microsystems revealed common benefits of participating in a mentoring program:
- Diminished work-related stress
- Increased productivity
- Better socialization
- Greater likelihood of getting a raise
- Higher tendency for promotion
Mentoring programs can be a boon to employers not only in that they help to groom new leadership, but also because they can go a long way in improving employee retention and satisfaction.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
